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Asparagaceae FAMILY

Agave virginica

Agave virginica

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

Many Agave species have strong, sharp spines on the leaves and leaf tips. In theory at least, the flowers, nectar, immature flowering stem and the centre of the rosette of all Agave species is edible and, with proper preparation, can provide a sweet, tasty foodstuff. Some species, however, contain relatively high levels of saponins (which makes them taste bitter) and some other compounds which can cause bellyache, and so these would only be eaten in times of desperation. In addition, many people may find these foods to be strongly laxative the first few times they eat them[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

Agave virginica has a very wide distribution, from the temperate climate of southern central USA (where it can experience temperatures falling as low as -20°c) to the semi-arid, subtropical climate of northeast Mexico. Often found on alkaline soils in the wild[2]. Agave species generally require a sunny position, succeeding in most soils of medium-fertility so long as they are very well-drained. Most species are undemanding as to the soil pH, though those found in the wild on limestone soils will grow better in neutral to alkaline conditions. Plants are generally very tolerant of dry conditions and of drought[3]. The flowers hav a sweet, fruity aroma[4]. The flowers have a fragrant banana - like scent[5]. Pollination in the wild is primarily by sphinx moths[4].

Propagation

Seed - Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Agave+virginica>

Pollinators

Moths

References

  1. [1]The Agaves of Baja California — Gentry H.S. · California Academy of Sciences; San Francisco · 1978 · ISBN 0068-5461 ↩︎
  2. [2]KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder — Missouri Botanical Garden · http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/ ↩︎Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone.
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]Flora of N. America — http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ ↩︎An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
  5. [5]Agave Agavaceae — Thiede J. · Springer Nature · 2020 · https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-56486-8_111 ↩︎
  6. [6]Huaco and Amole: A Survey of the Uses of Manfreda and Prochnyanthes — Verhoek S. · 1978 · http://www.jstor.org/stable/4253919 ↩︎
  7. [7]Sistemática del género Manfreda Salisb. (Agavaceae) — Castillejos-Cruz C. · Texcoco (MX): Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus Montecillo · 2009 ↩︎An unpublished Ph.D. thesis.